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    Backstory Coffee Roasters

    4.5 (169 reviews)
    Closed • 7:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Backstory Coffee Roasters Photos

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    BACKSTORY COFFEE ROASTERS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for working
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Backstory Coffee Roasters

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    Inside
    Hayley A.

    I loved my experience at this coffee shop. The interior is beautifully decorated, lots of natural light, plenty of comfortable seating and spacious. Perfect place to read a book or WFH. Clean bathroom available. The cold brew was delicious! It's a luxury price for a luxury experience, $10 for a small seasonal cold brew but worth every penny in my opinion. They offer small bites which I skipped on and there is a good amount of street parking available. Definitely worth coming back here.

    Interior
    Jamie L.

    Backstory may have the most beautiful coffee shop interior I've ever been in. The second I walked in, I actually laughed because it felt way too gorgeous to be "just" a coffee shop. The soaring industrial ceilings, massive windows pouring in natural light, dark wood shelving, plants everywhere, books, artwork, vintage decor, and incredible lighting somehow make the whole place feel both grand and peaceful. It's the kind of space where you immediately want to cancel your plans and spend the entire afternoon reading, working, or simply existing. Every direction you look feels thoughtfully designed. One thing I couldn't find online beforehand was whether there would be places to plug in my laptop. Thankfully, there are plenty of outlets, making it a fantastic place to work. Even better, despite its size, the atmosphere stays calm and quiet. It never felt loud or chaotic. The drinks were excellent. I tried the Lime Creamsicle Iced Matcha and later ordered a hot matcha, complete with a beautiful heart poured into the milk. I especially appreciated that they use what tasted like genuine, high-quality matcha rather than the overly sweet, filler-heavy mixes that so many coffee shops rely on. You can absolutely taste the difference. I also picked up two pastries: an artichoke and cheese croissant (I think it was Gouda?) and the coffee cake. Both were delicious, but that coffee cake deserves its own paragraph. It was huge, incredibly moist and rich, and served in a large paper liner almost like an oversized cupcake. I'd happily go back just for that. If I had one wish, it would simply be for the menu to match the creativity of the space. The coffee, tea, and espresso selections felt a bit limited considering how unique everything else is. This seems like the perfect place to experiment with fun specialty drinks and elevated touches. Imagine pink peppercorn on a cortado, mint dust on a cappuccino, unique flavored cold foams, rotating seasonal teas, or other creative finishes. The environment practically begs for a menu that's just as imaginative. The staff interaction was fine but didn't really stand out. When I asked whether they recommended the Lime Creamsicle Matcha, the response was basically, "I mean... it tastes like a lime creamsicle." It wasn't unfriendly, just not especially engaging. The prices are definitely on the higher end, but between the stunning atmosphere, quality ingredients, and excellent pastries, I'd happily return. Backstory isn't just somewhere to grab coffee. It's somewhere you want to linger. If you're looking for one of the most beautiful, calming coffee shops in Minneapolis, this belongs at the top of your list.

    Emily W.

    Whenever we come to a new city we always try to stop at a new coffee shop. We typically choose shops that only sell their own beans because they typically have the best coffee. Backstory is exactly that. When you walk in it's in a gorgeous building with probably 30 feet ceilings with windows covering the one side which lets a lot of natural light in. This is probably one of the coolest coffee shops I've been in. Now on to the best part the coffee. They have fair flavors right now and I got the blueberry vanilla iced latte. It's got house blueberry syrup, espresso & milk are shaken and topped with salted, buttery vanilla sweet corn whipped cream. It was one of the best speciality lattes I've had in a while. They even give you a "fair time passport". If you get all of their speciality drinks you can get a free fall seasonal beverage. I wish I was here longer so I could try all of them. I also got a brown butter blueberry muffin and it was also amazing. Overall good coffee and a great large, gorgeous cafe to try's

    Blueberry Muffin & Blueberry Vanilla Iced Latte
    Crystal D.

    This location is so serene and the perfect place to meet a friend, read a book, or get some work done. I am obsessed with their Brown Butter Blueberry Muffin it has a crisp on the top, giving it a crunch while still being moist in the middle. I love trying seasonal lattes and wish that the Blueberry Vanilla Iced Latte was a permanent fixture on the menu!

    Inside
    Lindsay R.

    I absolutely love this place. It's got an art deco/1920's theme, super high ceilings, wide open, variety of seating types, clean restrooms and even a food shelf. A lot of artistic drink options which I love. I got the lemon bar latte but was disappointed that I didn't really taste the lemon in it. The sweet potato pastry was super yummy though and I'm guessing the other drinks must be good because the place was packed. My only complaint is the outlets on the couch did not work. It's really important to have working outlets for those who come with a laptop. The only other issue is parking. I got lucky and found a spot on the street nearby and it was a Sunday so it was free but others were driving around looking for parking. If I'm in the area and there's a parking spot I'll definitely give them a try again.

    Jori S.

    Tasty coffee, gorgeous inside, great location. I even got coffee beans from here as a gift and they made some delicious coffee as well.

    Anh T.

    The cold brew is so good here I wanna say it's the best cold brew I've ever had very strong very dark taste very bold. The line is super long here, but it moves very quickly.

    Latte with Oat Milk & caramel cinnamon syrup
    Morgan S.

    Super cool ambiance inside and great coffee. It's a very rustic vibe with exposed brick, tall book shelves, exposed pipes and greenery around which gives it a very cozy feel. We just stopped by for a quick coffee break and it was busy since it was a Sunday morning so didn't stay too long. Great coffee as well, they had a new syrup that was a mix between caramel and cinnamon so I had that in my latte and it was really tasty.

    Study
    Alexie S.

    They have good pastry's and coffee! It was a busy spot and not a ton of outlets so if you plan to stay long make sure you've got a good spot. I loved the sunlight pouring in from the roof and the plants everywhere. It was a chill sport that's great for studying!!

    Steve G.

    A very cool and nice coffee shop. The decor is amazing. The cold brew was good, the breakfast wrap very yummy. I would come back. My only turn off was the ICE out posters. I think an All are welcome is a better poster. The ICE guys have families and are here to protect people. ICE in a business should be bias or not post it. It can turn some off.

    Kaveda J.

    What a beautiful and cozy spot to work, study or read a book! There's plenty of comfy couches and tables. Very spacious and beautiful. Dog friendly too! Highly recommend for a great cup of coffee and everyone is very friendly here as well!

    Interior
    Lauren H.

    OMG so prettty! If my home internet ever stopped working on a non-office day, I would want to work from here ALL. DAY. LONG. 5 stars because Coffee and pastries are as good as Starbucks for lower cost and in a much better environment. I recommend the ham and cheese croissants! Service was great, but I only saw 2 employees and my service would have been much slower if there were more customers in line.

    Inside of coffee shop

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    7 months ago

    This coffee shop is so pretty! Lots of greenery and places to sit. I got the seasonal lemon bar latte and it was delicious!

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Backstory Coffee Roasters

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    Caffetto Café

    3.9(129 reviews)
    1.9 mi•Uptown
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    Caffetto is the quintessential Minneapolis coffee shop--they've got tasty, reasonably priced drinks…read more(including a robust selection of teas both hot and iced), good hours, and a real fun punk cafe vibe (lots of fun graffiti and vintage pinball machines). I think Caffetto kind of corners a market that no one else has by being open so late--most coffee shops are barely open past noon, and they're open until midnight! I've personally spent many a late night there finishing up work--it's a really cozy atmosphere, and the selection of pinball machines in the basement are the perfect study break activity. The staff are all great and even when there's a line, they get through it quick and are still able to offer great recommendations--while I usually prefer an iced green tea with no ice, I've tried the lattes, cold press, Thai coffee, and hot chocolate and have genuinely never had a bad drink here. The only thing is to make sure you watch your step if you're walking in the basement--even though it has seating and pinball and the bathroom, it's more of an unfinished space with uneven flooring and I personally rolled my ankle and fell there last year haha.

    I jetted from work early to try this coffee shop because I needed a change of scenery and…read more.. well... it's Tuesday. :) I was surprised to find that the cafe was packed at 2:30 in the afternoon, but got lucky enough to snag an intimate table in the corner, perfect for reading a book in peace! I had a triple decaf almond milk latte that tasted like it was caffeinated to me but didn't give me the buzz I'm so addicted to, that's when you know it's a good decaf. I love the coziness and the unique artwork in Caffetto. I look forward to coming back at an earlier hour to feed my addiction. But it's great to know I have a go to coffee shop for those afternoon cravings where the decaf tastes just as delightful! UPDATE- 2 hours later: there's additional seating and a pinball machine room in the basement, glad I went downstairs to the bathroom.

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    Down th stairs for pinball, another secret door below that.

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    4.5(118 reviews)
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    This place is fantastic! I went here prior to getting my hair done across the street for a meeting…read more There is huge space that is set up perfectly for working from coffee shop, which i truly love and appreciated. I had a hard time selecting a place to sit since I wanted to sit in many of the places. The staff was amazing! I ordered a cortado for here, and it was perfect and gorgeous. I ended up spilling it all over the floor (totally my fault). I went up to order a new one (planning to pay because again..my fault!) and the staff refused to let me pay and even brought me my new drink to the table I was at. Talk about customer service! It was my fault I spilled it and they would not let me help clean it up or buy a new one. Consider me a fan of this place!

    ***WORST COFFEE ON PLANET EARTH***…read more This review is only on their coffee, not the donuts (donuts are made by cardigan donuts), only just the really bad coffee. When you read about their coffee, they talk a lot about how their coffee is high on acidity, etc.. I don't think... that's not what makes their coffee really bad. Here is an example of why I think their coffee tastes such like crap. Just imagine making the Intenso (highest Nespresso, strength of coffee) coffee pod of Nespresso, that strong really bold very flavorful coffee taste. You'll get a dark rich color. Imagine RE-using that Nespresso coffee pod and brewing yourself another cup with it.... That's what FRGMT coffee tastes like.... Super watered down very acidic flavor that absolute crap coffee lack of any robust flavor. It just makes you think that you just got a watered down version of an espresso / coffee pod by brewing it again from a reused coffee pod, that's how this place makes you feel ... basically absolute crap taste. I've never had coffee this bad in my entire life, so that's why I think the coffee here is the worst coffee on the planet. Nobody wants to wake up in the morning and feel like a reused coffee pod. It makes you wonder what did they do with the first brew of the coffee lol. It literally tastes like they reuse the coffee grounds and you would therefore get that watered down coffee taste. Their coffee grounds that they use here should be investigated lol. No matter how you want to describe what this coffee is supposed to taste like or whatever the acidity description is on their website... it's basically crap coffee. Don't be fooled by their acidity in their coffee or whatever excuses they try to use bcuz it just tastes like basically watered down double filtered very watered down coffee. They charge the same expensive prices like anywhere else, but here you would get the watered down version that tastes like reused coffee grounds... ICK. Absolutely horrible, horrible type of coffee. It is almost as if they're using coffee grounds that have already been used before like they have already been processed before... very rancid coffee almost if that even is such a thing. Not to mention the people that work here act like and look like they hate their job and they just can't wait to go home. Never seen one person smile back there. Is it bcuz they know the coffee is bad?! Especially, being in a gorgeous open space of a lobby it makes you think different thoughts about what you're walking into, getting coffee service by extremely unhappy crabby folks. Very bad coffee but very good donuts and they don't even make their own donuts. This place wouldn't even exist without the cardigan donuts let's just say that. They also have their own merch lol. Bcuz customers want to wear their brand of really horrible coffee?! I am a local to SpyHouse & Dunn Bros for decades so my coffee palate I would say can debunk this place correctly lol. Even at Rise Bagel (a bagel place known for bagels!) does better coffee than here.

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    FRGMNT Coffee - Iced vanilla latte with oat milk

    Iced vanilla latte with oat milk

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    Isles Bun & Coffee - Extra frosting !

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    4.5(627 reviews)
    2.7 mi•Uptown, East Isles
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    Hands down one of my top 10 favorite coffee shops in the Twin Cities! A true MN staple! The staff…read morealone make this spot worth returning to. They're always so friendly, quick to offer suggestions, and generally just great people; every single one of them. My go-to is an iced vanilla or hazelnut coffee paired with a puppy dog tail! I've also had their famous cinnamon rolls, scones, cinnamon coffee cake, and quiche, all of which I've ordered again and again. The portions are pretty generous, especially the rolls, so I usually split them with a friend or two. Their space isn't very big, but it still offers a decent amount of indoor and outdoor seating. I've spent many workdays and hangouts here and always feel so comfortable in their space. To top it off, their prices are unbeatable, they offer a treat to first-time guests, and they have a punch card system for returning frequent flyers like myself! There's nothing not to like about them!

    The closest thing you'll get to biting heaven, in my opinion :) They won best cinnamon roll for a…read morereason! Some paid street parking available nearby! The interior of the space is small, and fills up quickly most days, especially weekends! Staff have the conveyor belt moving and you can expect quick and efficient service! Definitely not as aesthetic of a spot as other Twin Cities coffeeshops and bakeries, but you probably aren't headed there for the decor. What the space lacks in visual appeal, it more than makes up on in taste! The Cinnamon Bun is extra large, perfectly baked with crispy exterior and chewy inside, smothered in the best frosting you've ever had! Pair it with your favorite coffee order and your morning just got a million times better! Don't hesitate to venture into their other offerings as well...the caramel roll is top notch! This spot should be on anyone's MUST VISIT list when coming to the Twin Cities! Walk around nearby Lake of the Isles after for the perfect day!

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    Outside sign

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    The Clapping Monkey House of Coffee - March 2025 soup and sandwich

    The Clapping Monkey House of Coffee

    4.6(30 reviews)
    7.8 mi

    Was headed to the in-laws in the north metro, and needed a caffeine surge! Saw the name of this…read morespot and knew I had to stop! Parking available in the shared business lot out front, but it was VERY busy on this Sunday afternoon! The interior of this spot is one for the senses: colorful walls, random knick knacks, plants, and plenty of coffee-sipping patrons. While it was a LOT of stimulation, I loved every bit of it. I was so happy to see so much support for this local spot! The servers were so friendly and helpful during my order and pick up process! Incredibly LGBTQ+ friendly. I HAD to go with the Go Bananas option on my iced latte, their proprietary blend of banana, vanilla, and hazelnut that leaves you with the most beautiful flavor! I also appreciated that they have a layered iced latte option...with the shot on top! This spot definitely is one of my favorite hidden gems from the last few years, and might crack into the top five coffee spots in the Cities for me! A MUST VISIT!

    This place is massive! I didn't think it was this whimsical and bold! The place captivates your…read moreattention and sensories. It gives an old school retro 80s vibe with a hint of 50s style diner. When I went it was decorated in Christmas decor with the theme of monkeys lol. The drinks were reasonably priced and had everything from simple lattes and cappuccinos to barista favorites which are more so speciality coffee drinks. I recommend checking those drinks out if you want to try something different. The seating area isn't typical cafe style. It's mainly couches, chairs and tables as if you're sitting in a house or lounge. Staff was fun and energetic with good recommendations. The most fascinating part is that there's an antique market connected to the coffee shop that you can walk right into. The store seems endless. So much to look at. Probably the biggest antique store I've seen locally. Highly recommend.

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    The Clapping Monkey House of Coffee - One of the inside seating areas

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    One of the inside seating areas

    Backstory Coffee Roasters - coffee - Updated October 2026

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